minimizing.

over the years, being a pack-rat and a clutter-bug as well as a hoarder who is unable to let things go or pass up free things given, i have accumulated what can only be described as a shitload of stuff.

the worst part is, having moved let's count: 6 times since May 2006, and trying to purge stuff along the way, [including my husband!] i still have a lot of shtuff....

so upon moving into the new townhouse in Raleigh, i was excited that my roommate wouldn't be up to move in for a couple of weeks because that meant that i could use her room to be a sorting area. it would be my ground zero, if you will.

here are pictures of ground zero at it's worst:











and because she is going to come up and paint her room, i needed to clear it out, so, i took pictures of the progress:


please note the BIG bag of Trash.



this big box beside the big bag is one of the boxes i have filled with things to give to Goodwill.


the two boxes on the left are boxes that i emptied all-together, and the box on the right is going to Goodwill!





yay! empty!

here's the most mindboggling thing that i have found out about myself through this purge/sort chaos,

i have a serious pen problem.

seriously, the blue box is the box of markers and pens and other things to scribble with that i already knew i had.

the red box are the pens and markers and scribbly things that i found DURING the process of the purge/sort chaos.





at least i consolidated them, but now, i think that i should really really punch myself in the throat the next time i walk down the pen aisle, just to make sure i start associating buying new pens with severe pain.

next task:
figuring out what to do with all the papers i've hoarded over the years.

i think i might be better off paying someone to throw it all away for me, to just start from scratch.

tired, exhausted, and it's only day 1

i am, how you say, le tired.

today was gruelling to say the least, but thank goodness i do not have plans to move again ANY time soon. packing my stuff today meant that i had to lift EVERYTHING that weighs anything more than 15 lbs b/c my mother has 0 upper-body strength. so when she said she'd help me today, i knew that help was a relative term.

my dad showed up with his truck and that was great because we can fit EVERYTHING in there and that means i only need to make one trip.

i will try to post a picture of all my stuff once it's in my dad's truck, and then, i will try to post another picture of the stuff once it's in the townhouse.

i have a LOT of stuff, and i plan on really, really, really sorting through it before it all settles into my new place like water into a dry sponge.

seriously.

i am so glad there is a Goodwill in my neighborhood, this way, i will actually go and drop things off when i say i will!